Why You Should Go to the Spanish Pyrenees Now

With wine, delicious local food, stunning vistas, and some of the best angling in the world, this mountain range on the border of Spain and France has a draw for every type of adventurer, and it's still a hidden gem—for now. Here's the who, what, where, and how of planning your trip.

With rugged countryside, wildly flavorful food, and plenty of dry-land activities to spare non-fishers, the Spanish Pyrenees are proving to be the next hot spot for anglers and laymen alike, and only a few people have caught on yet.

Matt Hranek

From March through November, travelers with fly rods can explore the more than 50 mountain lakes, 14 rivers, and 60 tributaries in the Spanish Pyrenees—most of which they will have all to themselves. On Monday, you might find yourself fishing bouldery freestone rivers for shy zebra trout; on Tuesday, chucking streamers for hog rainbows in a reservoir; and on Wednesday, casting nonstop through a day of lights-out fishing on an ibón—one of some 2,500 high-mountain glacial lakes in the Pyrenees.

Matt Hranek

You could strike out on your own and fish several of the spots mentioned here, but we’d leave the planning to the pros, who can get you to the most remote ibóns. Richard French, owner of Toronto-
based Slipstream Angling Worldwide, has fished the Pyrenees for years, working with Spanish outfitter Salvelinus; they can design trips for novices and pros alike. French recommends a minimum of four nights for three days of angling, or more to build in fish-free activities like helicopter hiking, vineyard visits, and architectural tours (slipstreamangling.com).

But, while the Spanish Pyrenees are haven for fishing enthusiasts, there are plenty of less 'fishy' activities and areas to be explored. Pictured, Paddling the Congost de Mont-Rebei Gorge.

Matt Hranek

Trips should begin in the ancient village of Arén, lodged in the Pyrenees foothills between Aragon and Catalonia. The four-hour drive from Barcelona carries travelers through a russet and sage-green flatland cultivated in corn and fruit, then into steeper countryside, past flocks of sheep and table-topped hills with saw-toothed peaks rearing beyond.

In Arén, population 300, you’ll find a Baroque cathedral and a museum of dinosaurs whose footprints were discovered nearby.

Matt Hranek

The region's most improbable feature may be Casa Domenc, a 250-year-old inn and restaurant on the village square, out of whose tiny kitchen is served some of the finest food in Spain. Each night, anglers and non-anglers—who spent the days touring monasteries, cathedrals, and wineries—gather at a long table in the wine cellar at Domenc, run by the owner, Juan Antonio Pascual Anmella, for an eight-course dinner: carpaccio of tuna with pomegranate vinaigrette; a timbale of potato, black trumpet mushrooms, and quail eggs; crispy black sausage with tomato marmalade; perhaps trotters with porcini, all matched with excellent Spanish wines.

Matt Hranek

On the way back to Barcelona, a stop in Lleida is a must. Lucky travelers in the area in late summer, early fall can get the chance to participate in the local vineyards' grape harvest. Opened in 1889, the Lagravera vineyard (pictured), is available for tours Monday to Friday.

Matt Hranek

The final stop on any trip to the Spanish Pyrenees should be El Molí d'Alòs, a restaurant just north of Lleida in the Alt Urgell region. Set in a century-old stone building by the riverbank, it consists of a bar and dining room separated by shelves of local wines and grappa, house-made manchegos, olive oil, smoked meats, and jars of quail eggs and tomato relish. All the food is raised by the owners: Lidia Moya (left); her chef husband, Siso Cuartero; and her father, Santiago (right).

Matt Hranek

Now go fish and play. Our advice: fly into Barcelona; from there, it’s a four-and-a-half-hour drive to Arén, in the Pyrenees foothills, or two hours to the Alt Urgell region.